Cincinnati pizza franchise plans Knoxville location

A LaRosa's Family Pizzeria location in Ohio is pictured in a submitted photo.

Submitted

LaRosa's Family Pizzeria, a Cincinnati-based chain, said Friday that it will open its first Tennessee location in the Cedar Bluff area.

A group led by Matt McAndrews will be the franchise owner. In a news release, McAndrews said the idea was born from a conversation with a friend who was a native of Cincinnati. "He convinced us to check out LaRosa's and we all just sort of fell in love," McAndrews said in the release. "We decided Knoxville needs a family pizza place like that, and here we are!"

The company didn't identify a specific location for the store, but said an opening date will be announced later in the spring. LaRosa's has 64 locations in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana.